The age of AI has arrived, and with it an urgent question for eco-conscious organizations: how can they embrace the productivity gains of generative AI while staying true to their environmental values?

There has been a growing awareness about the environmental cost of advanced technologies. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, for example, consume significant computing power, so much so that it is estimated that training a large language model like GPT-3 consumed 1,287 MWh of electricity and resulted in over 550 metric tons of carbon emissions.

This is roughly equivalent to flying a single passenger round-trip from New York to San Francisco over 550 times!

This may sound daunting, but in reality, it’s a call to action.

Here’s the positive truth: for every challenge generative AI presents there’s an opportunity to lead with impact. One area that employers can really influence more than they may realise is with sustainable finance – particularly around employee retirement plans and investment choices.

Company pension schemes represent trillions in global assets. In the UK alone, pension funds control around £3 trillion in investments, yet many of these funds remain tied to carbon-intensive industries. What if employers flipped that? What if, alongside AI adoption strategies, they built green pension pathways as part of their sustainability agenda?

The same opportunity exists in the US, where 401(k) plans hold over $7.4 trillion in assets. Despite this scale, fewer than 3% of U.S. 401(k) plans offer a dedicated ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) fund option. That’s an enormous missed opportunity… but also a wide-open door!

Employers can collaborate with benefits providers to introduce ESG-aligned investment options into 401(k) menus, allowing employees to consciously invest in renewable energy, green tech, and companies with strong environmental performance. And this is not just good for the planet, it can be good for the company, too. An analysis by Morningstar found that ESG funds outperformed their non-ESG counterparts in more than half of all asset classes over the previous 10 years.

Environmental action isn’t just a box-ticking exercise, it’s culture-defining. Employees, especially Gen Z and Millennials, increasingly expect their employers to reflect their values, and according to Deloitte’s 2025 Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey, 70% of respondents said they consider a company’s environmental policies to be important when evaluating a potential employer. And this is coming from the two demographics who now make up the vast majority of the current workforce.

That gives leaders an incredible opportunity transform AI anxiety into purpose-led action by building green AI roadmaps, encouraging responsible digital practices, and involving employees in eco-conscious decision-making.

Of course, none of this is easy. AI will continue to evolve, and so will its energy demands. But leaders are uniquely placed to unite people, policy, and purpose.

By viewing the rise of AI as a catalyst for greener practices – from pension reform to digital literacy – employers are not just responding to a challenge. They are building the kind of businesses the future needs: innovative, ethical, and environmentally aware.

If you would like to discuss how we can help build eco-conscious policies into your business structure to offset the environmental impacts of increased AI integration, please get in touch with us today!

In recent years, consumers have become much more environmentally conscious; one report even discovered that 90% of Gen X would be willing to spend an extra 10% or more for sustainable products.

This rising concern for the environmental wellbeing of the planet is also having huge effects on the world of work – especially when it comes to attracting and retaining talent. For example, Deloitte’s ConsumerSignals survey found that 27% of workers will consider a potential employer’s position on sustainability before accepting a job. KPMG’s research further strengthens this notion, as they discovered that one-third of young people reject job offers based on a business’s sustainability stance.

So, when it comes to attraction strategies, employers need to be considering their environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives, and ensuring that these initiatives are clear and transparent to potential new hires. More specifically, 69% of employees are looking to see if their employers are investing in efforts such as reducing carbon, using renewable energy, and reducing waste.

At the same time, nearly half of Gen Z workers (48%) said they would consider leaving a job that did not follow through on its promises on sustainability. Whilst having a clear commitment to environmental sustainability helps attract talent, following through on this commitment is key to retaining that talent.

And this sentiment is not just limited to younger workers. A report from Unily revealed that 72% of multigenerational office workers expressed concerns regarding environmental ethics, and 65% indicated a greater inclination towards working for companies with robust environmental policies.

What we are seeing is that eco-friendly companies are in high demand across the board, meaning that for employers, doubling-down their environmental support efforts are going to play a huge role in attracting new talent, and retaining current talent. And considering the fact that green jobs – which are defined as roles focused on sustainability and environmentally-friendly activities – now make up a third of job postings in the UK, it’s clear that the working agenda is becoming greener as time goes on.

For those employers who aren’t able to offer a ‘green job’, there are still other ways they can help the planet. Whether this be through tying their charitable initiatives to an environmental cause (this will also help to tick the ‘Social’ box of ESG!) or creating a roadmap to reducing their carbon footprint, there are a number of ways that going green will translate into profitability.

If you would like to discuss how we can help support your company with its environmental strategies, please get in touch with us.  

Companies who make a point to support and work with charities are not only contributing positively to the wider community, but are also making a smart business move.

It was discovered that those businesses that donate over 0.5% of turnover were twice as likely to report enhancements in company reputation, and were nearly 50% more likely to see it help recruit and retain staff. This is all without mentioning the interpersonal benefits that doing charity work offers employees; it promotes collaboration and cohesion, and helps to break down social barriers by offering employees something to talk about and bond over that isn’t work-related.

Adopting this corporate social responsibility mindset is a great way of enriching the Social element of your ESG agenda (and it can also touch into your Environmental strategies depending on the charities employers opt to support!). However, in order to reap these benefits, employers must understand the best ways to actually engage their teams with their chosen charitable cause.

How can employers do this?

Firstly, getting employees involved in actually choosing the charities that the company should support. If the cause that the employer wants to support aligns with the mission and values of said company, as well as aligning with the values of the team, then this will immediately foster excitement and engagement. This could take shape as potentially supporting a charity for a cause that has personally touched a member or multiple members of staff. Either way, figuring out the mission is the first step to deciding what direction to go in, and encouraging employees to get involved with that will really bolster their enthusiasm!

Equally, when recruiting and onboarding new team members, it is great to highlight that charity is a value that the employer holds dear. This can be demonstrated by having a set number of volunteer days in their benefit package, which carves out dedicated time for the employee to volunteer while still being compensated. As well as this, getting them involved in a charitable project in the first few weeks of onboarding can double-down as a great ice-breaking and assimilation tool.

And, importantly, find ways to make it fun! Collaborate with the charities that you choose to work with and find out by what means they typically raise funds. If they do charity runs like Race For Life or fun challenges like growing a mustache for Movember. Whatever they do, make an effort to sponsor some (or all!) of your team to take part so that they can be actively engaged and have a change of scenery from the workplace.

This can even be taken one step further and managers can organize fundraisers of their own that are more tailored towards their staff. As you’ll see below, I was once at the mercy of a dunking booth!

But there are so many innovative ways to make giving back enjoyable for staff (although, humiliation of managers seems to be a fan-favorite from my experience). Knowing how to successfully engage your teams with fundraising and volunteer work will give you access to all the business benefits that come with it – all while doing a little bit of good for the world.

If you would like to discuss how we can support you in engaging with charities and philanthropy, please get in touch with me at Brittany@orgshakers.com